Chelsea's interest in Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara could be reignited in the January transfer window, but the Ligue 1 club has laid out a specific condition that must be met before any deal can be considered.
Earlier this year, Chelsea and Monaco had struck an agreement worth £47 million for Camara, only for the move to collapse before it could be completed. Liverpool have also been credited with interest in the 21-year-old, but any fresh approach in the winter window now hinges on Monaco's ability to balance their books.
Monaco chief executive Thiago Scuro explained that the club's compliance with French football's financial regulations depends on offloading former Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun this winter. Selling Balogun would create the financial flexibility needed to keep both Camara and fellow midfielder Aleksandr Golovin at the Stade Louis II until the end of the campaign, rather than being forced into further sales.
"The original plan is to find a solution for Balogun. If we find that, it will give Monaco the opportunity to keep Lamine and Golovin until the end of the season," Scuro told RMC Sport. "That is the ideal plan, but we can't control the decisions and what will happen in the winter."
The comments suggest Monaco would prefer to retain Camara for the remainder of the season, provided Balogun's departure allows them to meet financial fair play requirements domestically. However, Scuro acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the market, leaving open the possibility that circumstances could change if a suitable offer for Balogun fails to materialize—or if a significant bid arrives for Camara himself.
For his part, Camara has sought to draw a line under the collapsed summer transfer, insisting his attention is fully on Monaco's current campaign. Speaking publicly for the first time since the deal fell through, the midfielder addressed the matter ahead of his side's draw with Strasbourg last weekend.
"There was a possibility I could leave," Camara said. "It didn't go through at the last minute and that's part of football. I've turned the page and am focusing on the season."
Despite his measured tone, Camara stopped short of ruling out a future move away from the principality club, acknowledging that the fast-moving nature of the transfer market could present new opportunities down the line.
"I can help the team a lot," he added. "Football moves fast. Maybe other opportunities will come along. But for now, I'm staying focused on the season with Monaco."
The situation leaves Chelsea and Liverpool monitoring developments from a distance, with Monaco's ability to sell Balogun likely to prove decisive in determining whether Camara remains available in January. Balogun, who arrived at Monaco after his spell at Arsenal, represents the key variable in the club's financial planning, and his future could ultimately dictate whether Camara stays put or becomes available to suitors once again.
With no certainty over Balogun's next destination, Monaco find themselves navigating a delicate balancing act between retaining their prized midfielder and satisfying financial regulations that govern French football. For now, Camara remains a Monaco player focused on the present, but the door to a January reunion with Chelsea—or a move elsewhere—has not been fully closed.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport and RMC Sport.